Location
2803 E 38th St., Minneapolis
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Ratings
| Location: | ★★★ |
| Atmosphere: | ★★★★ |
| Coffee: | ★★★★ |
| Food: | ★★★★ |
| Service: | ★★★★ |
| Vibe: | ★★★★ |
| Overall: | ★★★★ |
Pros
Nice, friendly vibe; good coffee; convenient access to light rail station.
Cons
Key required for restroom despite small space and conspicuous location.
Review
Tillie’s Bean, named for the owner’s daughter, is a bright spot in a somewhat troubled neighborhood. It’s not a “dangerous” place, but there has been a history of petty crime, including defacing of Tillie’s Bean’s windows, that has likely contributed to the establishment’s early closing times and locked restroom.
Located at the corner of 28th Ave. and 38th St., Tillie’s Bean is on the lower level of a small condominium complex built earlier in the decade. Its north and west walls are all windows, letting in a lot of natural light and giving the relatively small space an open, airy feel. But since the windows face in the directions they do, there’s no direct sunlight coming in, making it an ideal place to work. There are a number of tables, in addition to some comfy sofas and chairs, and a carpeted and toy-filled children’s play area, partitioned off by 3-foot-high walls so parents who bring their kids can afford to take their eyes off of them for a few minutes without worrying about them running out the door into traffic or otherwise causing mayhem. But, unlike the Riverview Cafe, I’ve never actually seen kids playing here in the 3 or 4 times I’ve been to Tillie’s Bean before.
You can’t have a coffeehouse without coffee, and Tillie’s Bean serves up some nice brews. Not the best coffee I’ve had in the area, but certainly nothing to complain about. As for food, Tillie’s Bean bakes its own pastries, including fresh, warm cinnamon rolls, which were too tempting for me to pass up today. Delicious.
As I’ve been writing this, most of the conversation between the owner and customers has centered around the impending opening of a new location at Franklin and Nicollet. The current location isn’t closing, but apparently it also isn’t profitable; the new place is in a far more densely populated, heavily trafficked area, and the owners are hopeful that the new location will balance the old and allow both to remain open despite tough economic times. I’m hopeful too.
